Green MSP hails go-ahead for net zero buildings investment
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VITAL plans to invest at least £1.8 billion to make buildings in Scotland net zero have been endorsed by the Scottish Parliament.
The move comes just as gas prices surge, threatening to push many more families across the country into fuel poverty.
Figures show that a quarter of households in Scotland are already considered to be in fuel poverty. Scottish Greens North East Scotland MSP, Maggie Chapman, has said that as well as the need to tackle the immediate problem, the issue shows that the requirement to lower Scotland’s climate emissions goes hand in hand with tackling fuel poverty.
She continued: “The surge in gas prices is a real concern to so many people who rely on fossil fuels to heat their homes, and yet again demonstrates why we must end our dependency on volatile, unreliable and climate-destroying fossil fuels.
“That’s why Scottish Greens in government are pushing forward plans to make homes across Scotland more efficient and to switch from fossil fuels to renewable alternatives such as heat pumps. To support this, we will invest at least £1.8 billion over the next five years.
“It has been shocking to witness the hypocrisy of Boris Johnson as he preaches climate responsibility on the world stage, particularly to struggling and ecologically vulnerable nations in the Global South, while at home his government is forcing families in the north-east into poverty and doing nothing to decarbonise our vital heat and transport networks.
“We don’t have time for this reckless, market-led and hypocritical approach. With Scottish Greens in government, Scotland commits to taking a sensible, people-led, and fair approach instead.”
